Smoking article combination



April 5, 1966 B. STONE 3,244,180

-SMOKING ARTICLE COMBINATION Original Filed Aug. 27, 1962 INVENTOR.BARBARA 5TONE United States Patent 3,244,180 SMOKING ARTICLE COMBINATIONBarbara Stone, 208 Winchester Ave., Staten Island, N.Y. 10312Continuation of application Ser. No. 219,503, Aug. 27, 1962. Thisapplication July 8, 1964, Ser. No. 381,091 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-4) Thisapplication is a continuation of my application Serial No. 219,503,filed August 27, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to an improved construct-ion of smoking articlescontaining a means for counteracting the noxious effects of tobaccosmoke on the human body. It has for one of its important objects theprovision of a convenient means of supplying an antidote to the toxiceffects of tobacco smoke and also a means for insuring that the antidoteis consumed before the tobacco is smoked.

The consumption of cigarettes has increased enormously in the pastdecades. There has been a parallel increase in the incidence of lungcancer among the population. Recent studies have shown that theincidence of lung cancer is much higher in smokers than in nonsmokers.Even after many studies have brought out the dangers consequent to thesmoking of cigarettes, the consumption of cigarettes has continued torise in greater and greater volume.

Studies have shown that tobacco smoke contains carcinogenic constituentswhich when inhaled deposit on the delicate lung tissue and membranes,set up irritation which on long continued action start the foci for thedevelopment of cancerous growths.

In addition to this direct contact irritation of the lung tissues,tobacco smoke has many other systemic effects on the body. For instance,the toxic alkaloid, nicotine, a constituent of all tobacco smoke has adirect poisonous reaction in the body in minute amounts. This accountsfor many of the toxic disturbances exhibited by new smokers who have nothad time to build up a bodily immunity or tolerance to the toxic dosesof nicotine in the tobacco smoke.

Other noxious constituents of the smoke besides nicotine also exertundesirable systemic effects on the body. Profound changes in thevascular system and other organs of the body are caused by tobaccosmoke. A very important effect on the body chemistry, causingfar-reaching consequences, is the destructive properties of tobaccosmoke on the vitamin content of the body. Tobacco smoke and itsconstituents have a destructive action on vitamin C both in vitro and invivo.

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is the essential vitamin whose lack in thediet causes the sometimes fatal disease, scurvy. Vitamin C will bereferred to hereafter as ascorbic acid.

This destruction of ascorbic acid by tobacco smoke causes a depletion ofthe ascorbic acid reserves of the body in heavy smokers, bringing withit the attendant symptoms of the deficiency state such as a loweredresistance to disease and the inability of the body to successfully copewith and combat the toxic manifestations of the noxious chemicalscontained in the tobacco smoke.

Ascorbic acid is very important and biochemically essential for thenormal metabolism of the body. In addition to its protective andcuravtive efiects in scurvy, it is vital for the maintenance of thehealth and integrity 3,244,186 Patented Apr. 5, 1966 of all the tissues.Its presence is required in many essential metabolic processes amongwhich are the resistance to disease and infections and in thedetoxification of many poisonous substances that the body absorbs bycontact, inhalation or ingestion.

Ascorbic acid is not stored to any extent by the body, making itscontinued daily ingestion a necessity for good health. The NationalResearch Council recommends the daily intake of to milligrams ofascorbic acid. Complete deprivation results in death from scurvy in acomparatively short space of time. If the intake of ascorbic acid issub-marginal or the ingested amount is largely destroyed by tobaccosmoke or other exogenous toxins or stresses, symptoms of frank scurvymay not develop but the prescorbutic state will exist. In this state thebodys biochemical metabolism is operating under sub-optimal conditionsand its victims have a general feeling of lassitude and not feeling justright and have a greatly lowered resistance to the infectious diseasesand exogenous toxins and the inability to cope with the many stresses ofliving including smoking.

There are many papers in the scientific literature showing thedestructive effect of tobacco smoke and its constituents on ascorbicacid. Bourquin and Musmanno (American Journal of Digestive Diseases, 20:75-77, 1953) in experiments on humans showed a drop in the bloodascorbic acid levels due to smoking. In vitro experiments on human bloodshowed a destruction of its ascorbic acid content by nicotine. Similardrops in the blood plasma levels of ascorbic acid in smokers was shownby Dietrich and Buchner (Deutsche Gesundheitwesen, 15: 2494-2495, 1960).They also showed a decrease in urinary excretion of ascorbic acid insmokers which indicated a destruction of the ascorbic acid by the smoke.Venulet (Medizinische Klin., 49: 959-962, 1954) showed similar resultson tests with animals, he also discusses the various organs weakened bythe losses of ascorbic acid. McCormick (Archives of Pediatrics, 69:151-155, 1952) discusses the ability of ascorbic acid to neutralizetoxins of exogenous orgin and states that he has determined bylabaratory and clinical tests that the smoking of one cigaretteneutralizes in the body approximately 25 milligrams of ascorbic acid, orthe amount in one medium-sized orange.

Based on this work of McCormick it is easy to calculate that apack-a-day smoker will destroy approximately 500 milligrams of his bodysascorbic acid. It is not surprising, therefore, that most heavy smokersare in a chronic state of sub-marginal ascorbic acid nutriture and arethus exposed to all the hazards of the preascorbutic state.

It is my belief and the belief of others that this chronic state ofascorbic acid depletion is responsible for many of the deleteriousmanifestations of smoking. The depleted tissues and membranes of therespiratory tract have lowered resistance to the irritating constituentsof tobacco smoke. T-his lowered resistance over long periods of exposuremay possibly predispose these tissues to the development of cancerousfoci from the carcinogenic agents in the tobacco smoke.

Further, the integrity of the collagenous tissue is wholly dependentupon ascorbic acid. The body is unable to synthesize collagen in tissuesdepleted of ascorbic acid. Collagen is the groundwork or cementingsubstance that holds the cells of a tissue together and intact. If thecollagen is weakened or lacking in the ascorbic acid depleted state, anyprimary cancerous lesion that may form in the lung or upper respiratorytract will readily metastasize and break away and spread to other partsof the body because the normal restraint of a firm collagenous cementingnetwork surrounding and holding the cells together will be lacking.

The increase in the incidence of lung cancer due to the increase insmoking cigarettes may be nothing more than a physiological response ofthe body to a long continued state of ascorbic acid depletion combinedwith the insults of chronic exposure to inhaled chemical irritants oftobacco smoke.

My invention is a direct attack on this problem by supplying ascorbicacid to the smoker in a readily available and pleasant form to replacethat destroyed by the tobacco smoke.

Another object of the invention is that the ascorbic acid is a part ofthe smoking article so that the amount of ascorbic acid consumed by thesmoker is in direct relation to the number of cigarettes smoked.

A most important object of my invention is that the smoker cannot failto remember to take this ascorbic acid supplementation before smokingthe cigarette, cigar or other smoking article because the particularconstruction of the combination makes it necessary to remove the ascorbic acid-containing material before the article can be smoked.

The drawing attached to this specification illustrates some of the meansfor accomplishing the purposes of this invention. FIGURE 1 is a sideview of a cigarette, partly in section and showing the invention asapplied to a recessed filter cigarette. FIGURE 2 is a view similar toFIGURE 1 but illustrating a form of the invention applied to anon-recessed filter cigarette or a non-filter cigarette or cigar. FIGURE3 is a view similar to FIG- URE 1, but showing an edible tablet insertedin the end of a filter (or non-filter) cigarette. FIGURE 4 is a viewsimilar to FIGURE 1, but showing an edible tablet inserted in the end ofa recessed filter cigarette. FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, butshowing a recessed filter cigarette with the end stuffed with an edibleascorbic acid fluff. FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, but showinga still further modification.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown the invention as applied to a recessed filtertype cigarette. The outside membrane, 10, forms the wall of thecigarette; the recessed filter, 11, defines a cavity at the end of saidcigarette. This cavity contains granules of a pharmaceutical confectioncontain ing ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid containing material, 12, isa palatable mixture which may be prepared by mixing ascorbic acid and asweetening agent such as sugar or synthetic sweeteners. If necessary toincrease the bulk and aid in granulation of the powders, some inertfilling material such as mannitol may be added. This mixture isgranulated to obtain the free-flowing dry granules which being watersoluble, will dissolve readily in the saliva when taken into the mouth.A snug cover, 13, retains the granules in the cavity. In use cover, 13,is removed and the cigarette end is inverted into the mouth to permitthe granules to fall upon the tongue. After dissolution in the saliva itis then swallowed. The cigarette is then smoked in the normal manner.

In FIGURE 2 there is shown another embodiment of the invention suitablefor cigarettes or cigars. The figure shows a cigarette with the monthend covered or capped with a removable cover, 17. This cover is preparedfrom an edible sheet material containing the desired dosage of ascorbicacid. It may also contain sweetening or flavoring agents to make theingestion of the edible sheet material more palatable. The edible sheetmaterial can be prepared by drying a solution of an edible film formingagent such as carboxy methyl cellulose or other water soluble gums orpolyvinylpyrrolidone or proteinaceous film forming materials like eggalbumen, soluble caseinor mixtures thereof. The ascorbic acid may bedissolved in the solution of the film forming agent before drying on afiat surface to obtain the soluble, edible, ascorbic acid-containingsheet material. In use the smoker removes the edible cover, 17, andallows it to dissolve in the mouth and in this Way imbibes the requisitedosage of ascorbic acid. The cigarette or cigar may then be smoked inthe usual fashion.

In FIGURES 3 and 4 there are illustrated cigarettes constructed toaccommodate a shaped tablet containing the proper dosage of ascorbicacid and any flavoring or sweetening agents to make them more palatable.In FIGURE 3 the tablet, 30, is inserted into the mouth end of a filtercigarette by means of the inwardly projecting tip, 32. In FIGURE 4 theshaped tablet, 49, is fitted like a plug into the cavity, 4 1, formed atthe mouth end of a recessed filter cigarette, 42. In each case thesmoker removes the tablet from the cigarette with his teeth or lips andeither chews or lets the tablet dissolve in his mouth. The cigarette isthen lit and smoked as usual.

FIGURE 5 shows the application of edible filamentous fiufi? materialcontaining ascorbic acid in conjunction with a recessed filter typecigarette. This ascorbic acid-containing fluff, 50, which is stuffedinto the cavity, 511, at the recessed filter end of the cigarette, 52.This fluff is prepared by the centrifugal methods commonly used toprepare cotton candy. The smoker merely snags the ascorbic acid flufi?with his teeth and removes it to his mouth where it dissolves and isswallowed. In this Way he replaces the ascorbic acid that will be lostduring smoking.

In FIGURE 6 there is shown a filter cigarette, 60, with a cavity, 6 1,in the filter which may be filled with ascorbic acid-containing granulesas in FIGURE 1 or ascorbic acid containing fluff as in FIGURE 5 or withan ascorbic acidcontaining tablet as in FIGURE 4.

These drawings illustrate some of the means for accomplishing thepurposes of this invention. It is not intended that the scope of thispatent be limited by the forms shown. Many variations are possible inconstructional details which can be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

'1. An improved elongated smokable tobacco product comprising acylindrical body of tobacco having a caplike member surrounding at leastone end thereof and in slideable engagement therewith, said cap-likemember being formed of an edible, water-soluble sheet-forming materialcontaining a mass of ascorbic acid at least equal in Weight to theamount of ascorbic acid lost in the human body in the smoking of saidtobacco product.

2. In combination with an elongated smoking tobacco product a mass ofascorbic acid at least equal in weight to the amount of ascorbic acidlost by the human body in smoking said tobacco product, located adjacentone end thereof and means connecting said mass of ascorbic acid to saidtobacco product in such a way that said mass may be removed from saidtobacco product without destruction thereof, said mass of ascorbic acidand its connecting means completely obstructing one end of said tobaccoproduct, said means for connecting said ascorbic acid to said tobaccoproduct comprising an edible sheath surrouding one end of said tobaccoproduct and said mass of ascorbic acid being disposed within saidsheath.

3. An elongated smoking tobacco product comprising a tubular casingenclosing a charge of smoking tobacco, said tubular casing extending atone end past said charge of tobacco whereby a recess is formed in saidend, a solid cylindrical tablet located in said recess in frictionalengagement with the walls thereof substantially obstructing said end andextending outwardly from the end of said recess in such manner that itsremoval before smoking said tobacco product is facilitated; said tabletbeing edible and comprising a mass of ascorbic acid at least equal inweight 5 6 to the amount of ascorbic acid lost by the human body FOREIGNPATENTS in smoking said tobacco product. 5 0 12/1947 France ReferencesCited by the Examiner OTHER REFERENCES UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Landc:APC Publication 261,049, of May 11, 1943, 515,774 3/1894 Hotz 1319131-17. 1,926,564 9/1933 Sharp 131-4 2,804,078 8/ 1957 Safiir 13110SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. 2,965,496 12/1960 d 20647 2,998,8209/1961 if 10 MELVIN D. REIN, Examiner.

1. AN IMPROVED ELONGATED SMOKABLE TOBACCO PRODUCT COMPRISING ACYLINDRICAL BODY OF TOBACCO HAVING A CAPLIKE MEMBER SURROUNDING AT LEASTONE END THEREOF AND IN SLIDEABLE ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, SAID CAP-LIKEMEMBER BEING FORMED OF AN EDIBLE, WATER-SOLUBLE SHEET-FORMING MATERIALCONTAINING A MASS OF ASCORBIC ACID AT LEAST EQUAL IN WEIGHT TO THEAMOUNT OF ASCORBIC ACID LOST IN THE HUMAN BODY IN THE SMOKING OF SAIDTOBACCO PRODUCT.